29 – Susan Brunstrum: Marketing Manager turned Designer

Big show today! BIG announcement today! So happy and excited to finally be able to share that we have a new sponsor. Design Manager, the leaders in interior design software, has come on as a sponsor for The Chaise Lounge. To introduce you to what they have to offer, I interviewed Lindsay Paoli, their Director of Sales and Marketing to tell you all about it. Offering a desktop version as well as a cloud-based version, Design Manager can help you organize all your clients, projects, accounting, and vendors in ONE place. Please, check them out. You won’t be disappointed.

Today’s designer interview is with a Chicago designer, Susan Brunstrum, the owner of Sweet Peas Design. Susan is not a trained designer but has surrounded herself with a fantastic team. Susan is the leader and driving force of the firm. Starting the firm just outside of Chicago, in Libertyville, IL, Susan now has two offices: one in Libertyville and one in Chicago. Susan shared her story of life-change, starting our, finding great team members, and working with clients.

One of my favorite topics we talked about was marketing. Since Susan came out of a marketing in corporate background, she has a bit of an advantage. She knows all about branding and messaging, and getting the story told. Here is a great example of using a showhome project to get more attention and traction.

I know you are going to love this interview just as much as I did. To learn more about Susan, go to her website at Sweet Peas Design.